Regarding resources , I don’t think there is much doubt.
RESOURCES:
Main:
1. First Aid- a well crafted book, with great mnemonics. adequate information
2. UWorld- totally in love with it. the format is very similar to the actual exam even more than the NBME.
3. Practice exam: NBME and UWSA. I also did first aid Q Bank and it was good. was it required I am not totally sure.
Supplementary:
now if you haven’t done final year, KAPLAN ,sketchy pharma, micro, pathoma. I would suggest cause first aid I felt was good cause my concepts were already built.
if you have done crossed final year or are reading your basic course books I did not find the need to read all of these.
But I did find the histopathology quite confusing so I watched youtube videos on the important ones like testicular, thyroid, breast, lung. just what element is what. but u world does give an apt description and photo of the histopath, if you can remember through that good enough.
ANKI!- so these are basically flashcards. one side the ques. can be long. normally short. and the other side is the answer..
it enhances recall which is good to actually rather than reading the same material over and over again.
also doing the same flashcards over spaced intervals. like spaced repetition is very very effective. I recommend you to use them. if you are not you are missing out.
Time needed to prepare.
US medical students usually studied through out their clinical year. and then a dedicated period of 4-6 weeks and give the exam. that is kind of like how we study for our professionals.
if you want to do something like that you can totally do it,
if you are done with proff and your internship gives you time to study 6-9 months is average time taken.
remember it is important with using your mind than to absent mindedly flipping pages!
there are also pages on Instagram.. @usmleflashcards, @firstaid @kaplan @usmlecoach etc. that give intermittent question. not just for studying but like motivation.
WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER?
It is an eight hour long exam so not only you need to know your stuff but you have to retain the capacity to think when your nerves have gone into their refractory period.
so practice give 5 hour and 7 hour long practice exam just like the main. plan accordingly how you will take breaks.
longer breaks are needed as the test progress. are you going to have a piece of chocolate, coffee, you want o meditate. try all this before hand. do not pause the exam while giving at home.
I felt I got very tired by the end of mine. my system 2 (reasoning capability) refused to make an effort and I was at the mercy of system 1 (intuitive responses) to carry me through.
note- system 1 and system 2 references are taken by the book- thinking fast and slow- Daniel kahenman,